Saturday, June 25, 2011

10 gmail gadgets

There is a powerful but little known Gmail feature that lives in Labs called “Add any gadget by URL.” Once you turn it on, you can add iGoogle gadgets (or any gadget specified by an .xml file) to the side of your Gmail account. While most of these gadgets are built by third-parties and not owned or maintained by Google, they can be super handy.

To install any of these gadgets, follow those steps:1) From your Gmail account, go to the Labs tab of Gmail Settings. 2) Look for the Lab “Add any gadget by URL.” Enable it, then click “Save changes.”3) Go to the new “Gadgets” tab under “Settings” and add the relevant .xml address.

Here’s a list of a ten I’ve found worth trying out:

WikipediaLook for a specific query right from Gmail.http://www.google.com/ig/modules/wikipedia.xml

Google CalculatorMake some quick calculations while typing an email.http://calebegg.com/calc.xml

NoteAdd a sticky note to the corner of your Gmail account.http://www.google.com/ig/modules/sticky.xml

Remember the MilkIf you’re a fan of this task management system, accessing all your “Remember the milk” notes from right within Gmail can be super handy.http://www.rememberthemilk.com/services/modules/gmail/rtm.xml

PolyClockGives you the time of day for any place in the world.http://gad.getpla.net/poly/clock.xml